smiles_is_reading1's reviews
27 reviews

Dark Harmony by Laura Thalassa

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Dark Harmony which is the last book in the Bargainer Series is the worst finale anyone can ask for
🚨🚨🚨Spoiler Alert🚨🚨🚨
After many events, plot twists and schemes all the thief wanted to do with Callie is to fulfil his BDSM dreams with her as a mockery!!! I mean the villain in this novel is an actual God but he sought a siren solely cuz he wanted to sexually torment her !!! Invading the world with global warming sounds a better devil plan. Even the part where killing the villain is the most meeeeeeeeeeh 😑😑scene I have came across. 
Seriously, disappointed cannot describe it cuz I love Urban Fantasy and at some point this series was really intriguing for me but it all fall down and I for one believe it could have been one book. 

The Emperor of Evening Stars by Laura Thalassa

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

When I though this series cannot be more interesting I finished this novella in 3 hours just because I was curious to see Desmond counter point of view, and it’s everything I wanted about Des♥️♥️. It’s even more poetic since half of the book happens in ancient ages. 

A Strange Hymn by Laura Thalassa

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Everything in its plot is so doubtful but what I like mostly is its poetic prose and world building. The description of the events itself are very vivid especially the Epilogue part in this book I was 😱😱.Though the fantasy world is similar to that in ACOTAR but I live the exploration in this one a bit more and not just being mainly in one setting. 

Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

this series is expressing itself quite good. It’s mainly similar to ACOTAR, fast paced but actions start at by the end. I like as well, even though not much of plot but its sense of humour makes me chuckle😂😂. Characters also are quite entertaining. 

Namesake by Adrienne Young

adventurous challenging hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I will admit, after the first book, this one was a little disappointment to me, maybe cuz I wanted the same suspense as the first part but sadly I anticipated everything in this one.
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Swipe left for synopsis 
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 The description and the adventure stayed the two major elements for me, and the plot fast paced enough not to feel bored though the climax reminded me of Crooked Kingdom. 
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The characters cast in this book were slightly ruined for me, especially West’s characters. All these Red Flags Fable and u just keep 😍 
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 Overall, I just wish there was some time spent on this plot cuz it had so many potentials from the beginning and the moment they started ru

Fable by Adrienne Young

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

 The adventure was never absent from the plot. Though it’s a simple story but it was captivating for me.Every single corner had its plot twists and turning points like streets of Ceros made it almost impossible not to gasp for breath from under its details. 
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Description was the best😙😙 it suited the small world building and the characters cast, and always the slow burning romance in these novels works THE BEST. 
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The ending was the best cliff hanger I could anticipate and I cannot but pick up the sequel and start immediately with it.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

adventurous challenging hopeful informative tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Imagine Hunger Games and Greek Gods, that’s the whole plot of the book, but with no hunt. Though I thrive for Greek mythology especially re-tellings ones but I found this book a bit confusing and the story does not catch up till it’s first 200 page, and my version is 430 page, yup.
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The plot and world building were the main characters which actually developed, though I saw the plot twist coming, Greek mythology woven in modern world, Greek Gods walk among mortals and their flaws are shown on modern theatre under the mortals’ judgement. I did not feel, however, any actual development with the characters. Lore (the protagonist) is Atlas struggling with her past’s guilt on her shoulders, she could have had better portrayal and development instead of being angry and furious all the time. She only had Catharsis and reflection at the end of the novel. Castor was their Apollo in his prime and hovering over for a sentence or two in every scene while he could have been given a better role, cuz guess what he IS A GOD AND CAN DO SOMETHING CRUCIAL IN THE PLOT. Miles always cool, the only character that seemed to have a purpose is Van. 
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I loved the prose of the book, imagery, it’s epic fight scenes, and it’s harsh criticism for Greek mythology especially the sexism part. The slow burning romance was desirous. 
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I feel the ending could have been much better, not rushed and DEFINITELY more heroic to match the book events. Don’t get me wrong I am a SUCKER for happy ending but not the rushed ones. 

The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A warning must be given, this book has a very clever way in attracting reader; will start with light and delightful stories about animals, parents punishes their children lightly by telling them scary stories, but beware, after passing the usual stories here comes the true dark and gothic side of the fairy tales, the kind our parents avoided telling us as bedtime stories to keep nightmares away, you will see the mother who advised her daughter to cut her toes to marry the prince, the king who wanted to marry his daughter because she resembled his beloved late wife and the mother who throw her two children in the woods. But eventually, you cannot have a book full of kind and nice people or it will not have a plot. The book is merry, aesthetic, and beautiful and I wish you and I were part of it.

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This is by far my Favourite part in all the three Grisha Trilogy, the plot was so exciting I couldn’t put it down especially the part when Nikolai turned into a monster I HAD to keep reading to know what happened to him. 
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still a lot of descriptions and details are lost but there was an essential development in Mal’s character which I honestly liked.
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Ending was a bet meh 😑 but expected, I thought the Darkling death will more Grand than this 🥺🥺
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A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

I have always paid attention to Nesta’s character and how underestimated her suffering is, always portrayed as the oldest, cruel and cold-hearted sister who neglected her family, but it has always been obvious that she was in pain, her character is different from Elain and Fyre, she was born a wolf and forced to hide her claws. 

Her journey was astonishing, how she dealt with her trauma, depression and self-hatred is remarkable, completely different from Fyre, and it deserves the 620 pages that took her to heal, though book was fast paced despite the length. I HATE  how the Inner circle especially Fyre dealt with Nesta’s depression, it was so FURIOUS, and every time they mention or speak to her either disrespectfully or scorn her. She needed support from her sisters and they were not there. Inviting her to a part and keep insisting she live her life and join them doesn’t count as help. Chapter 50 was tearful for me, her emotional collapse and when everything was clashed. The friendship she developed with Emerie and Gwyn is momentous and I feel in love with them, their background and personality, they’re the ones who provided her with the support she needed to heal. The House of Wind was a character itself and I am a sucker for setting-become-character. 

Cassian and Nesta relationship development was distinctive, how Cassian had faith in her and kept reaching and waiting for her even when her own family did not, though I was not a big fan of the several smut scenes not cuz of smut but cuz at some point it was just too much (though in some points cuz his was I wanted to shove Truth Teller in his guts and make him swallow it🙂)

There was no much of the plot and it was not a huge part of this book, a lot of retrospective scenes and again with the repetitive words “could have sworn” is growing old
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